A Virtuous Circle for the Few?

• In Event: The Virtuous Circle? The Nature of the Relationship Between Exposure to News and Political Engagement

Abstract

According to the virtuous circle thesis, the relationship between exposure to political information in the news media and political engagement is positive and reciprocal. Those who engage most in politics are most likely to seek out political information in the news media, and those who are most attentive to political information in the news media are in turn most likely to become further politically engaged. Using a three-wave panel study from Denmark (N = 2,080) combined with a content analysis of the news media, this study examines the conditional role of motivation (political interest) and ability (education) in this process. The results show that the relationship is indeed positive and reciprocal, but only for people with high political interest. In contrast, the relationship is not moderated by level of education. Thus, motivation plays a key role in the reciprocal relationship, while ability seems less relevant in today’s high-choice media environment.

Author

• Kim Andersen, U of Southern Denmark, Centre for Journalism